Paris: Saatchi & Saatchi’s CEO of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Robert Senior, today announced the appointment of Elie Ohayon as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi France.

Senior said: “Elie brings leadership, determination and spirit. The perfect ingredients to help Saatchi & Saatchi deliver the unreasonable power of creativity to our clients – existing and new. I’m looking forward to working with Elie.”

Ohayon joins Saatchi & Saatchi from Leg (part of the Havas group), where he has been General Manager since 2009. Prior to this he was CEO of McCann, France 2007-2009, General Manager of BETC Euro RSCG between 2003 and 2006 and before this, spent 16 years with Y&R where he was Managing Director 1998-2002.

During his career Ohayon has developed particular expertise in specific industries including Telecommunications, Automotive, Food and Beverage, Retail, Beauty and Luxury. He has won major clients for the different agencies he has worked for including Bouygues Telecom, Barilla, Carrefour, Kraft, Vivendi, Nike and INPES (French Ministry of Health).

Ohayon said on his appointment: “I am delighted to be joining Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world’s great advertising networks. I look forward to working with Robert Senior and the management team in Paris to continue to strengthen and grow this key European market.”

Ohayon will commence as CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi in Paris on 1 September 2011. He will be supported in his role as CEO by the existing French management team of Jean-Baptiste Herman, Barbara Arbib, Valérie Planchez and Corine Linden.

In France, Saatchi & Saatchi’s clients include Bel, Bouygues Group, GDF Suez, General Mills, Medecins du Monde, Novartis, Piaget, Procter & Gamble, Toyota and Visa. Saatchi & Saatchi EMEA has 64 offices in 47 countries across Europe, The Middle East and Africa. Robert Senior is Chief Executive Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi, EMEA and the Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group. Senior joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 2007 as UK CEO of SSF and was appointed Chairman of the Worldwide Creative Board in 2010. He became CEO of EMEA in January 2011.